After a special caucus held on Friday evening at the Guyana International Conference Centre to discuss the free movement of people and goods across the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), President Bharrat Jagdeo flayed the Alliance for Change (AFC) for its statements that questioned Guyana’s democracy. The AFC, and a few other groups, have placed full-page advertisements in today’s newspapers criticising the Barbadian immigration policy and accusing Government of cronyism and financial skullduggery.

On the immigration row, the President insisted that political parties have to act in the best interest of the people and try to avoid public hysteria and using complex regional issues for political purposes.

“I think Raphael Trotman (party co-leader) and the AFC are using this issue politically. The last thing I want is for that to happen. The Government doesn’t have that luxury,” the Head of State explained.

He noted that Guyana will ensure that the Government of Barbados lives up to its Treaty obligations, but it must be recognised that Barbados is a sovereign state and there is only so much that Guyana is entitled to ask.

“We can’t determine the immigration policies of Barbados outside of those that are provided for by the revised Treaty of Chaguaramas,” he said, but insisted that he will persist in his efforts to ensure Guyanese are treated fairly and with dignity.

On the criticisms of his Administration, the President was adamant that Guyana is one of the most democratic countries in this hemisphere. “Of the 192 countries in the world, we’re in the top 30 for the freedom of the press,” he stated.

The Head of State explained that the AFC’s antics were intended to create an impression among Heads of Government that Guyana is violating democratic norms.

However, he pointed out that his fellow CARICOM leaders are wise politicians, and recognised that the AFC is trying to exploit the occasion of the 30th CARICOM Heads of Government Conference.

President Jagdeo was also critical of the integrity of the AFC noting that there are still unanswered questions concerning funding for the party and the honesty of Khemraj Ramjattan, the party’s other co-leader.

“Until now, they’ve not answered us about the substantial donation that they got from a drug dealer, the one who was exporting pepper sauce…and  Ramjattan still needs to answer how as Member of Parliament, he got a duty-free concession and then he sold that duty-free concession, benefitting from that,” the Head of State said.

This is not the first instance of such political manoeuvring by the AFC.  During the Fifth Summit of the Americas held in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, the party had published a whole page advertisement on what it terms ‘state of affairs’ in Guyana in the Trinidad Express and locally.

On that occasion, President Jagdeo had stated that the AFC’s attempt to embarrass his Administration was unsuccessful. He had felt that because the party’s co-leader, Raphael Trotman was not part of Guyana’s delegation to the Fifth Summit of the Americas, he was offended. (GINA)